Two CF-18 Hornets to perform flyby to honour Veteran’s 100th Birthday

Above images: Left, James Francis Stocky Edwards at the age of 98 years old. Photo courtesy of and by granddaughter Jessie Turner via James Francis Stocky Edwards Facebook page. Right, two CF-18 Hornets fly over Comox in this 2020 photo. Photo credit: Mike Kaehler, RCAF Associate Historian. 

This Saturday, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) will be conducting a flyby to honour the 100th birthday of Wing Commander (Ret’d) and Second World War veteran James “Stocky” Edwards.

Two CF-18 Hornets belonging to 410 Tactical Fighter Operational Training Squadron from 4 Wing Cold Lake will take flight over Comox at approximately 11:00 a.m (PST)., Saturday, June 5, according to a public service announcement (PSA).

Stocky joined the RCAF in 1940, flying Vampires, Sabres, and CF-100s both in Canada and overseas before retiring in 1972.

“The CF-18s will fly over Comox at an altitude no lower than 500 feet above the highest point of the flyby route and maintain a higher altitude for the trip to and from their base at 4 Wing Cold Lake,” the PSA stated.

Careful planning is put into practice when conducting RCAF flybys to ensure public safety. Whether the aircraft take the sky or not is very dependant on the weather conditions and operational requirements.

People are being asked to keep proper physical distancing while observing the flyby, in line with provincial health guidelines.

To view a live stream of the flyby, people can visit the 19 Wing Totem Times Facebook page here at 11:00 a.m.